Despicable

Contempt is what I feel for the jerk in this story. A

man in Wisconsin was recently arrested for faking

heart attacks to get out of cab fares and restaurant

tabs. His scam was uncovered by a doctor at the

hospital he was taken too; the doc recognized him

as a repeat 'patient' and called the police. The faker

was charged with fraud and could face up to 9 months

in prison and a $10,000 fine. I think both are light-

weight slaps on the wrist. Someone close to me has

had a heart attack, and it is NOT a laughing matter or

something to play with and fake having one. One day,

it might be a case of the boy crying wolf.

Bhutto Assassination update

I have spent these days since the lamentable assassination of

Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan in a state of mournful sorrow, yet

with a twist of amusement, but not in the funny, ha ha sort of

way. No, I have been 'amused' by the Pakistani government's

(ie. murderers) explanation of the events on that tragic day.

Apparently, according to the government spokesman, Bhutto

did not die from gunshots or the bomb explosion. No, the

sunroof killed her! Yes, you read correctly. Bhutto, as you all

know by now, was waving and saluting her adoring public 

as she stood in the open sunroof of her vehicle. When the

deadly commotion started, she quickly tried to re-enter her

vehicle (according to the government version), and in doing

so, hit the lever of the sunroof with the back of her head,

fracturing it and causing the fatal injuries. That's right,

death by sunroof is the version they are trying to sell. I just

want to know when the entire world became blonde, or

were born yesterday. It is just an insult to even offer up 

such a pathetic fantasy; who in their right mind would even

for a moment consider such an excuse? A harried videotape 

taken during the dreadful episode has surfaced, and despite

it not being of the best quality, it is still very clear that 

Bhutto was shot first, as you see her buckle and begin to

collapse, then the light of the explosion from the suicide

bomb follows almost immediately after. So now the red-

faced Pakistani government, trying to present some

semblance of propriety, has invited Scotland Yard investi-

gators into Pakistan to assist in discovering exactly how 

Bhutto was killed and who was responsible (again insulting

our intelligence, as if we didn't know....sheesh). Further-

more, a few days ago, the government announced they 

would delay the elections until February, due to the exces-

sive protests and violence after Bhutto's death. It would 

not surprise me in the least if the elections were delayed 

again, or not even held. And if they do ever take place, it 

will be ridiculously rigged, so it will all be moot. But 

nothing, not Scotland Yard, not any mournful protest by 

Pakistani citizens, will bring Benazir Bhutto back. Sad.

Goodbye Benazir Bhutto

After I got home yesterday from the restaurant, I
turned on the TV to check out the headlines on CNN,
as I do everyday. But yesterday I saw a headline that
floored me, the tragedy of it threw me down on my
sofa in horror, shock, and sadness. Former Pakistan
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated,
murdered - killed. She had come home to Pakistan only
2 months ago, after several years of exile, to challenge
the current leadership/dictatorship in the January 2008
elections. I remember watching CNN when she did go
home in October, the throngs of adoring people, the joy on
Bhutto's face, and I remember turning to my husband and
wondering out loud why on earth did she go back? I recall
then saying that they would probably try to kill her, that
it was just a matter of time......I never dreamed that it
would be just 2 months later, but that it would be sort
of like Indiri Ghandi of India so long ago, killed in office.
Unless the Pakistan elections were going to be totally
rigged, there is no way Bhutto would have lost in
January, and then I just figured some Muslim fanatic,
angry over the fact that a woman was in power, would
cut her down. But despite the Pakistani government
laying full blame of Bhutto's assassination on terrorists,
I think anyone with half a brain knows what happened
here. It was the Pakistani government, the same one
that refused to provide her with full security and only
the BARE minimum of protective measures upon her
return, who engineered this horrible tragedy yesterday.
Government officials saw the huge crowds of people
everywhere Bhutto went, saw the adoration and support,
saw the political tide turn enough to realize that no one
would accept a rigged election outcome, and simply
took care of business. For shame....may those bastards
rot in hell. Benazir Bhutto, Allah Bless you and may you
rest in peace, you were a remarkable, brave woman in
not only a Muslim, but any world.

Green Card Shenanigans

You know, the holiday season is a time to remember and if

possible, to be with loved ones. But for some folks, it is time to

find that new special 'loved one', as in the case of this Russian

immigrant in California. A 24 year old blonde Russian female

living in Los Angeles had placed an ad in Craigslist about 2

years ago trying to find a husband in order to procure a 

Green Card. The ad read as followed:

'Green Card Marriage - Will pay $300 a month, Total

$15,000. This is a strictly platonic business offer, sex not

involved. Not required to live together.'

Immigration officials saw the ad originally but apparently sat

back and waited for the fraud to occur. The Slavic gal found a

taker, and in February 2006, she tied with knot with her new

found 'love'. However, earlier this month the fraudulent couple 

were arrested by immigration officials, charged with engaging 

in a sham marriage. The attorney of the Russian chick is

alleging that she had no idea that it was illegal to marry for a

green card; he sited the blatant language of the ad as evidence.

I just call it a case of someone being WAY too honest, she just

wasn't sly enough to engineer the scheme more discreetly, but

the gal is blonde, so enough said!

Recalls, cell phones, and teachers!

I have been trying to kick this lingering cold to the curb for a

couple of weeks now, very frustrating how it just seems to

want to hang around. But that doesn't mean that I haven't

been keeping my eye on the odd, amusing, or troubling

headline! First off, a thread that has been way too commom

on this site, another food recall, and again concerning ground

beef. American Foods Group recalled 96,000 pound of ground

chuck and sirloin that had been distributed to several states

in the midwest and mid-Atlantic, including Virginia. Kind of 

sad that recalls are so common now that they aren't really news.

The next story is one that really surprised me only because I'm

surprised we don't read more of such instances. A man in 

California was killed by a train when he stepped out in front of

it while talking on his cell phone. Apparently the guy was waiting

for one train to pass, and when it did, stepped into the path of

another one going the opposite direction. Bystanders reported 

that he was obviously distracted by his cell phone conversation

and simply didn't pay attention. I myself, while driving,  have had 

to break hard or swerve around pedestrians and drivers who have

been occupied by the oh so important cell phone conversations 

they were having and weren't paying attention to the road. No con-

versation or text message is worth your life people.....be careful.

Last, but certainly not least, a high school literature teacher in

Italy has been suspended by her school due to her "extra curri-

cular activities". Her 'hobby'? You guessed it, a porn star! The

teacher has been dubbed "porno-prof" by the Italian media; 

she calls herself Madameweb! Apparently Madameweb has 

indulged in several hard-core internet videos; her popularity 

surged last month after her participation in an erotica festival

in Berlin, Germany. The lusty teacher tried to defend herself by

stating that her behavior at school has always been "professional

and irreproachable", but was unable to sway the educational

authorities in the Fruili-Venezia Guilia region (northern Italy).

Well, I just know that I never had any teachers like that in my 

school, but then again, I grew up in Virginia, not Italy!

What on earth?

Stampedes. When you hear that word, generally you think of cows, bulls,
or other bovine creatures. But in China, that land of defective or poison
laden toys and food, stampedes are done by people. This past weekend,
a supermarket had a special promotion on rapeseed oil. People had lined
up in front of the market since 4:00 am of that morning. Well, once the
doors did finally open, people rushed through frantically. The result of
this madness - 3 people dead, 31 injured (7 seriously). 3 people dead
over rapeseed oil? I mean, I have heard of peanut oil, vegetable oil,
canola oil, and my personal favorite, olive oil. Obviously I am not in the
know of rapeseed, must be a staple of Chinese cuisine. It might be darn
good oil, but worth trampling people to death? sheesh

Wacky stuff

I haven't been awake too long, just long enough to have
had breakfast with hubby, take out Lady to do her thing,
and then give her breakfast. So now I am checking my
e-mail and the news at CNN, and yes, I have come across
a couple of doozies. I am sure all of y'all have heard
of drug mules, folks who smuggle illegal stuff in their
luggage or even person. Well, we now have a new mule
to watch out for...Mr. Potato Head! Custom officials in
Australia found over 10 ounces of Ecstasy pills hidden
inside such a toy, sent from Ireland. While no arrests
have been made yet, the incident is under investigation.
A customs official did admit that while they were used
to odd methods of drug concealment, the Mr. Potato Head
was definitely "outlandish"! Gee, no wonder he has such
a goofy smile! And now a story that I could kind of
relate to - an Idaho woman trying to enter a Federal
courthouse was forced by security officials to remove
her bra because it was setting off the metal detectors.
From the video of her interview, one can tell she is a
'healthy' woman, definitely not an 'A' cup! Those who
know me know that I fall in the same catagory; I have
gone through many a metal detector, and my underwire
bra has rarely set them off, and on the odd occasions
it did, the security official simply ran the wand over me
and was satisfied. I am not quite sure why that was not
an option, rather than have the woman disrobe right then
and there. Did the security guys just want to get an
eyeful, or perhaps a jealous flat-chested security chick
seeking to humiliate a bustier broad? In either scenario, I
sense discrimination against 'D' cupped women. For shame!

Bottled water

I knew it....i knew it. I drink bottled water daily, usually
about 2 small or one large bottle. A few years ago, I
meticulously bought a bottle of each and every brand on
the market, to find the best tasting ones. I endured a
mild amount of ridicule from folks telling me that it's just
water, it's all the same, what difference does it make. Well,
I could taste a difference. Some had a more metallic taste,
even a bit of an aftertaste in some cases. So it came as no
surprise to me to learn this week that Aquafina (from Pepsi),
and Dasani (a Coke product) bottled waters were not from
fresh springs, but simply treated tap water. I had tried both
during my taste test period, and they were equally bad, very
metallic. And now we all know why. Another brand that
admitted to being tap water was one I somehow missed,
Nestle Pure Life. Yeah....real pure! Oh, and the brands that
did do well in my personal taste test are as follows:

1) Evian
2) Spring (by Dannon)
3) Crystal Springs
4) Deer Park

As Evian is a tad on the expensive side, I usually buy
Spring or Crystal (whichever is on sale!). My wild card
choice if none of those are available is Deer Park. Call
me picky, but in this case, I was right!

1894-S Barber Dime

Some of you may, or may not, know that I am a coin collector,
not a real serious one, but above average. I generally stick to
U.S. coins, mostly silver ones. My faves include the 3 cent
nickels (yeah, sounds weird, but they do exist!) and all Barber
coinage. Barbers are what we collectors call all dimes, quarters,
and half dollar coins minted between 1892-1916; the coins
were designed by Charles Barber. One Barber I DON'T have is
the 1894-S dime. Only 24 proofs were made, none for general
circulation. Of the 24 proofs, only 9 are documented to be in
existence. One of those got sold a few days ago by someone in
California to a lucky soul in New York. Lucky, and rich I may
add, as the coin sold for 1.9 million dollars. The 1894-S Barber
dime is considered by many in the coin world as the Holy Grail
of coins. I know I will never get to own one, but I do hope to see
one at some point, hold it in my hot big hand and just pretend
for a few seconds.....and then grudgingly give it back. Unless I
finally hit the lottery, then maybe I can get my own, right after
I buy the Porsche Carrera convertable and a beachfront villa!

Some odd food notes

Unusual food notes that I ran across over the weekend. According
to Reuters, McDonald's Corporation in Britain has announced that
starting this week, they will convert part of their 155 vehicle
British delivery fleet to run on biodiesel fuel made from their own
recycled cooking oil. It will start with 45 vehicles, with the rest
being switched over the next 12 months. The fuel will be 85%
cooking oil collected from the approximately 900 Mickey D's
around Britain, the remaining 15% will be pure rapeseed oil. My
question is, will the discharge smell like fries? On a more serious
note, Veggie Booty Snack Food has issued a recall of all their
snack foods due to possible salmonella poisoning. Veggie Booty?
Is this name for real? I was quite surprised to read the CNN
online article about "a popular snack food sold nationwide....in
supermarkets, health food stores, vending machines, and online
in the U.S. and Canada." As most of you know, I shop alot, hit all
the grocery stores (depends on what I need and who has specials),
but I have never seen a snack food with such an offbeat name....I
would have remembered 'Veggie Booty'!!! I mean, up until this
article, I just assumed booty was a popular subject in many of the
rap music songs I hear on the cook's radio in the restaurant's
kitchen, and trust me, the lyrics (those that I can actually under-
stand that is) definitely do NOT refer to veggies!

Remembering Liz Claiborne

There are alot of women out there in mourning these days.

This past Tuesday saw the passing of fashion designer Liz

Claiborne after a long battle with cancer. Liz revolutionized

the fashion industry, designing and producing stylish, classic,

and affordable casual sportwear and coordinated outfits and

that were serious yet so very attractive. Her fashion and sense

of style were aimed at the influx of women entering the work-

place and climbing up the corporate ladder in the 70's and 80's.

Elisabeth Claiborne was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1929 and

came to the U.S. in the 1940's to pursue a career in fashion.

(She married twice and had one son.) After working for years

as a relatively unknown dress designer, Liz, together with her

husband Art Ortenberg and 2 business partners, launched the

Liz Claiborne line of clothing in 1976. It would not take long for

her to totally turn department store clothing policies and sales

upside down; her clothes became an instant hit, and in 1981

Liz Claiborne entered the stock market. In 1985, Liz Claiborne

Inc. became the first company headed by a woman to be listed

in the Fortune 500. So, as you can see, she broke the barriers

and set the table for other successful women that would follow

her (such as another one of my faves, Martha Stewart). Liz

retired from day to day operations in 1989, but stayed active

through various charities and foundations, most recently with

the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation, dedicated to

wildlife conservation. I was in high school when I first started

buying Liz's clothes; the styles and colors were conservative,

classic, yet very attractive, high in quality yet sporty, all while

being affordable. Furthermore, the lines and cuts of the clothes

fit me well, something not easily accomplished due to my height,

arm length, hips, and bra size. When Liz entered the accessory

line, she sold me there too; shoes in large sizes, fantastic belts,

wallets, and purses....the total package. The only designer that

can come close to her accessory line is Aigner, but in clothing,

no one topped Liz. A pioneer for the non-stick figure, moderate

income woman who wants to turn heads in a non-flashy way,

who desires to wear fashionable and comfortable clothes that

last without going out of style - thank you Liz Claiborne, you

will be missed.

Nutty art

If it seems that I go out of my way to find weird stuff to write about
here, well, you're right! But fortunately I don't have to go too far! The
picture below was discovered on the CNN website, in the offbeat
section. It depicts a work by Swiss artist Jean-Frederic Schnyder's
"Waegeli", which translates to "little strollers"; it is on display at the
museum of contemporary art in Basel, Switzerland. Check out what
these little strollers are made of:















Yes, those are walnut shells! Cut and shaped, cleaned out
perfectly, with cute little wheels and handles (wonder what those
are made out of?)! But who does such a thing, how does a person
come up with the idea to create something like this? I am not
sure if "Waegeli" really qualifies as art, but heck, you just have
to admire Schnyder's odd, yet delicate efforts, and his patience!
hhmmm, my husband and I occasionally eat mussels and clams,
wonder what what expressive piece of 'art' we could create out
of the leftover shells?!?

Concert aftermath...and France?

As expected, the restaurant was rather crowded last night before and
after the concert, which was good. It made time go by, and I enjoyed
the hectic pace, except when the soda machine lost the carbonation,
making all the sodas flat! As it was too busy to tackle the problem right
then, I just told the wait staff to push tea, juice, and coffee! Not too
many drunks thankfully, a good crowd for the most part. Now today I
will simply put it into cruise control. Sunday is the last day of my
work week, and usually alot of regulars and friends drop by for a visit.
So, all in all, it usually turns out to be a good day! To change streams
completely, I was just scanning CNN for the headlines, and today
France has a new president. His name is Nicolas Sarkozy, a conserva-
tive; he garnered 53% of the vote over Segolene Royal's 47%. Both
claimed that they had overcome huge obstacles to get to their position.
Sarkozy is the son of Hungarian immigrants, Royal, a socialist, was
aiming to become France's first female president. As both politicians
are fairly youthful, in their early to mid 50's, I have a feeling this will
not be their last confrontation.

Another debate

As I reported last week, the Democratic candidates for president held
their first debate, a year and a half before the election. Well, last night,
it was the Republican's turn. Held in a highly symbolic setting, the
Ronald Reagan Library in California, the debate pitted the 10 GOP
candidates against each other. To be quite honest, I hadn't even
heard of 4 of them. There could be a couple of reasons for that - first,
alot of attention has been focused on the 2 higher profile candidates,
Rudy Giuliani and John McCain; second, alot of attention has been
garnered by Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
In any case, the GOP event last night focused on the Iraq war again.
Most of the gentlemen didn't object to the war itself, but as to how it
was executed. Abortion and gay rights were other hot button issues
tackled. But the most revealing point about the debate itself was how
many times the name of Ronald Reagan was mentioned -19 times....19!
As CNN reported, "GOP hopefuls were not shy about hitching them-
selves to the Reagan mantle". The legacy of the late president clearly
loomed large over the arena. All Republicans dream of another Ronald
Reagan; GOP politicians try to become 2nd comings. Sadly, I do not
see another Ronald Reagan emerging from these candidates. Maybe I
will be proven wrong, but he was the last of a dying breed, a politician
with brass ones, who did the right thing without trying to please every-
one. Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman were 3
other presidents who were also such "let the chips fall where they may"
type leaders. Let's hope the U.S. will see another such leader in the
near future.

Some good news

YES! I read in CNN yesterday, right before I left for work, that there
has been an arrest in the mugging of the 101 year old woman in New
York. I am sure y'all remember the case last month, and saw the very
disturbing video on all the news channels. Well, a 44 year old man
was questioned after police arrested him on an unrelated drug charge.
Officers questioned him after noticing he matched a photo of a person
wanted in the attack of the 101 year old woman; he also attacked an
85 year old woman attacked around the same time. He was charged
after a line of questioning determined that the police had their man;
he will be held without bail on charges of robbery, grand larceny,
burglary, and assault. Furthermore, this lowlife will be charged with
hate crimes as well, since he targeted elderly people. In New York,
attacks on people over 60 years old are a violation of New York
State Hate Crimes Act of 2000. So, basically, this slime is facing up to
25 years in the slammer. hhhmmmm, it is obvious that this pleases
me?!? Serves him right for beating up little old ladies.

HUH?

What the heck? We are a year and a half away from the 2008
presidential election, yet we have already had our first debate.
Eight Democratic hopefuls for the White House took part in an
event held in South Carolina last night. It turned out to be a
fairly ho-hum gathering, as most naturally bashed the war in
Iraq. The surprise of the debate was a little known ex-senator
from Alaska, Mike Gravel. According to CNN pundits, he shook
up the stage more than once, at one point calling the U.S. "the
greatest violater of the non-proliferation treaty". (The 1968
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which the U.S. has signed,
calls for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, disarmament,
and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.) The atmosphere, for the
most part, however, was cordial; no one came out ahead or
damaged. What I simply don't get is how early all these candidates
declared their intentions, and, subsequently, how soon, before
even the first caucus or primary, a debate was held. I have
followed American politics for over 20 years, and I just don't
remember witnessing such a circus, especially a year and a half
before actually going to the polls. The danger of this is that most
folks are going to be fed up with all the politicians over this long
stretch of time. The result could be even more apathy from the
American public. I would like to believe the opposite will happen,
that folks will be forced to become more politically aware and
active. However, Americans do not have the best track record
when it comes to politics and voting; commentators gush when
voter turnout percentages for an election go over 50%. But
basically, that means about 1/2 of all Americans could care less -
if they cared, they would get out and vote. Personally, I have
never missed a vote; I became a registered voter immediately
after turning 18. Even when I lived overseas, I would go to the
American embassy and vote by absentee ballot. But clearly not
all folks are quite as dedicated. Oh well, I guess time will tell,
after all, we have plenty of it before Nov. 2008!

Good move - bad move

Came across a couple of stories online today that displayed decision
making on the opposite ends of the spectrum - smart and dumb.
First the idiotic move. A man in Florida ran his van into a home, and
proceeded to escape on foot as the homeowners watched. However,
he left one of his shoes behind. An hour later, as police were at the
scene investigating, a bloody, barefoot man, clad only in boxer
shorts, walked up. Investigators noticed facial injuries on this man,
consistent with hitting a steering wheel; an officer proceeded to
ask the injured guy to try on the shoe. It was a perfect fit! Well, I
guess you could call this a sad, warped version of Cinderella! A much
smarter character came out ahead in England this week. A retired
engineer, 10 years ago, had placed a 100 pound bet with a bookmaker
that he would live to be 100 years old. Well, that 100 pounds turned
into 25,000 pounds ($50,000 USD) this week as the gentleman
celebrated his 100th birthday! His secret to longevity? A daily diet
of porridge and a chess game or two, as well as remembering to
just keep breathing, are key. Porridge? I guess Goldilocks and
the 3 Bears will be around a while!

Horrible Tragedy

Today the entire state of Virginia is in mourning for the

senseless act that occurred in Blacksburg, Virginia. An

insane gunman shot and killed, at last count, 32 people,

and wounded at least 15 more on the Virginia Tech campus.

Our local university is the main rival/nemesis to the

Virginia Tech Hokies, but today that rivalry is replaced by

sorrow and despair...why did this happen, why were these

lives snuffed out so senselessly, why why why?

Prayers go out to all of the families and friends of the victims.

Sad but funny

Sometimes, you read a story in the news and you just have to laugh,
despite the tragedy or absurdity of the situation. Yesterday I had one
of those moments, when I was browsing the CNN website and came
across this headline - "ATM thief's fake leg falls off in escape bid". I
mean, come on, while it is sad that someone, for one reason or
another, has a prosthetic leg, you still can't help but laugh. The
scenario in brief. Mr. fake leg man and an accomplice took a pickup
truck to a market, tied a chain around a 1500 pound ATM machine,
ripped it off the floor with the truck, and then loaded the machine
onto the pickup. Police gave chase, and the 2 bandits drove onto a
dead-end street, whereupon they abandoned their vehicle and took
off on foot. OK, at least one of them did. The guy with the prosthetic
leg was found lying on the ground near the truck by police; his leg
was nearby as it had fallen off in his frantic attempt to escape. As a
police spokesman put it, "...an attempt to flee from officers...was
unsuccessful". Well, I guess if you were a leg down your attempts
to flee would be unsuccessful too! Um, Mr. fake leg, stick to crimes
that don't require quick getaways on foot...just a suggestion!

San Fran Ban

San Francisco is one of the most famous cities
in the United States,maybe even the world.
The city by the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge,
Fisherman's Wharf - all symbols of this
northern California city. And lest we forget,
San Francisco is also home to the largest gay
community in the United States, fueling its
reputation as a very liberal city. Many of the
liberal reforms that have sprouted in Cali-
fornia have their roots in San Fran. Some
have been good ideas, others maybe not so
much. But the latest news out of the Golden
State is definitely positive. Last week, the

San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to ban plastic bags
from large supermarkets and pharmacies in an effort to promote
recycling. Plastic bags are made out of petroleum products; city
legislator Ross Mirkarimi stated that the ban would save 450,000
gallons of oil a year and would also remove the need to send 1,400
tons of debris now sent every year to the landfill. (Recyclable plastic
bags, however, would be allowed under the new law.) It will be
intriguing to follow this development, to see how it will be received
and carried out, and if other U.S. cities will follow San Fran's example.
Let's hope so.